Textile operation and machine therefor



March 31, 1936.

w. A. DICKIE Er AL TEXTILE OPERATION.AND MACHINE THEREFOR Filed Oct 12, 1932 FIGS.

khormzsg Patented Mar. 31, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TEXTILE OPERATION AND MACHINE THEREFOR Application October 12, 1932, Serial No. 687,434 In Great Britain October 21, 1981 This invention relates to the treatment of textile materials, and is particularly concerned with the finishing of pile fabrics. It is an object of the invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for smoothing or glossing the pile of pile fabrics, i. e. laying the pile flat in one direction so that it presentsa shiny appearance.

According to the invention, in the operation of glossing of pile fabrics, vapour, e. g. a softening vapour, is applied to the part of the fabric which is being subjected to glossing. In particular, steaming affords a satisfactory vapour treatment, and in the subsequent description reference will be made only to the use of steam. The process may be carried out in such a manner that the pile of-the fabric is smoothed or glossed uniformly over the whole of the fabric, or it may be carried out in such a manner as to produce differential surface effects, e. g. stripes, checks, or patterned designs on the fabric.

The invention is applicable'to pile fabrics, generally such as plush, warp pile velvet, ring velvet, or weft pile velvet, whether the pile consists of cotton, wool, alpaca, mohair, silk artificial silk' or of any other material and whatever the nature of the ground by which the pile is backed. The invention is, however, particularly applicable to fabrics having a pile of artificial silk. The invention is especially productive of very good and permanent results when applied to fabrics have ing a pile consisting of filaments or fibres of organic derivatives of cellulose, such as cellulose esters, e. g. cellulose acetate, formate, propionate or butyrate, or cellulose ethers, e. g. ethyl, methyl or benzyl cellulose, which fabrics are not ca-. pable of being efiectively glossed by the usual methods.

In order to carry out the invention, an apparatus is used comprising means for smoothing or glossing the pile of the fabric, in association with means for treating the fabric with steam, simultaneously with the glossing operation and on the same part of the fabric. Thus for thepurpose of smoothing the P t fabric may be caused to pass under a. small stationary metal,

wooden, or other bar, which may if desired be felt covered. By means of the fabric being drawn over the face of a stationary glossing member the pile is laid flat in the opposite direction to that of the travel of the fabric. By regulation .of the pressure of the bar against the fabric, the

bar may have serrations cut on its face in order to produce the stripes required in the fabric.

Checks or'pattemed effects may be produced upon the surface of the fabric by replacing the glossing bar by a suitably engraved rotatable roller or cylinder which has the required design cut out of or engraved on its surface. Those portions of the pile which come into contact with the raised parts of the roller surface will, through the combined agencies of pressure and steam, be flat tened locally and given a high gloss. For this purpose the roller or bar may be addustably carried at its ends so that it can be raised or lowered, in order to cause the fabric to pass at a flatter or sharper angle over its surface. Means may also be provided for adjusting the bar or roller in the direction of its length, that is, lat

erally with respect to the fabric, in order that the position of the stripes, checks or patterned designs across the width of the fabric may be adjusted, or, if desired, altered during glossing.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, but it is to be understood that this description is given by way of example only and is in no respect limitative.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view, of the apparatus according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the glossing bar shown in Fi 1; l

Fig. 3 shows means for lifting the glossing bar; and

Fig. 4 shows a glossing roller for the production a of patterned effects. I

As shown in Fig. 1 the fabric l8 passes roun guide rollers I I and i2 and over a tensioning roiler IS, the rotation of which is braked by a band .a steam box ii to a porcupine drawing roller ll from which it proceeds to a further roller IS, the position of which causes the fabric ill to be drawn against the needles of the porcupine roller I8, the rotation of which serves to pull the fabric through the machine. A steam pipe 20 perforated at I20 on its underside passes centrally through the steambox l1 and ejects drysteam downwardly against a baiiie plate ii. The steam is distributed evenly throughout the box i! by the heme plate 2| which-serves also to direct the steam upwardly so that it passes through the part of the fabric i0 stretched over the top of the box l'l.

The halls plate 2! is perforated to allow condensed steam to descend to the bottom of the box to a drain 22 situated beneath the baflie -plate. The upper edges of the steam box H are smooth and level to allow the fabric I I! to fit very closely to prevent the escape of steam. The length of the box may equal the width of the fabric, but in order to prevent the escape of steam when the fabric width is less than the length of the box, suitable plates (not shown) may be used to blank ever the ends of the box not covered by the fabric. The upstanding pile A is smoothed or glossed to assume the position shown at B in passing over the top of the steam box II by contact with a glossing bar 23 covered with felt 24 and suspendedfrom a beam 25. By regulating the depth of the glossing bar 23 relative-to the upper edges of the steam box H the pile'A may be smoothed to any desired degree. a

A form of device for obtaining stripe effects in 'thefabric is shown in Fig. 2. The glossing bar 23 is channeled at 21 to allow certain areas of the fabric to proceed through the machine with the pile untouched, while the areas under the projecting parts 28 are glossed in the usual manner.

Whatever the type of glossing bar is used, adjustable vertical mounting of the bar with respect to the fabric is provided by bolts I25 which are locked in position by locknuts 25I, while lateral adjustment is simply effected by changing the position of collars I30, I30 on the glossing bar supporting shaft I29.

When it is desired to pass the fabric I0 through the machine more than once, the extremities of the fabric may conveniently be sewn together to form an endless band. As the'seam thus formed is thicker than the rest of the fabric it is advisable to lift up the glossing bar 23 from contact with the fabric Ill when the seam normally would pass beneath the bar, and for this purpose the arrangementshown in Fig. 3 may be employed. When this arrangement is adopted, the glossing bar 23, instead of being suspended from the beam 25, is connected to a. lever 3| fulcrummed at 32 en a pillar 33 attached to a convenient part of the machine. The lever is weighted at 34 to provide pressure for the glossing bar, to which it is connected at 35. A lifting cam 36 mounted on a pillar I36 contacts with the underside of the lever 3| and can be rocked to lift the. bar 23 by .means of 'an arm 31 connected by a vertical link 38 to a pedal lever 39. Thus, as the seam of the endless length of fabric reaches the glossing bar, the operative can readily raise the bar by pressing the pedal lever 39, the operation not requiring to be stopped.

For the production of check effects a glossing roller 4| (see Fig. 4) having its surface cut away as at 42 to form raised checks I3 is mounted over the steam box in the position occupied by the glossing bar- 23 in Fig. 1, and may be driven by surface contact with the fabric Ill or by any suitable gearing, preferably at slightly lower speed than the speed of the fabric. The raised portions 43 press upon the pile of the fabric and flatten and gloss the area immediately beneath them, while the sunken portions 42, which are preferably of greater depth than that-of the pile of fabric undergoing treatment, allow the pile immediately beneath those areas to proceed through the machine untouched. The roller ll may be of any material, but on account of cheapness, and to reduce design-cutting charges, wood may be preferred.

01', or in admixture with steam, in order to produce augmented or modified results. Thus for example, when pile fabrics having a pile of cellulose acetate or other organic derivative of cellulose are under treatment, the vapours of a solvent for'the cellulose derivative, e. g. acetone vapours, may be mixed with the steam. When the alternative or additional vapour is of a relatively expensive nature, as in the case of acetone, a cowl 26 covering the area over the box I1, and forming the open end of asuction system, sucks away the excess vapour and conducts it to a recovery plant.

Similarly, such suction means may serve to re- What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. Process for the treatment of a pile fabric,

wherein the pile contains yarns of an organic derivative of cellulose, said process comprising glossing or smoothing the 'pile continuously and progressively along the length of the fabric while simultaneously applying yapor of a solvent for the cellulose derivative to the part of the fabric being glossed or smoothed.

2. Process for the treatment of a pile fabric,

wherein the pile contains yarns of an organic derivative of cellulose, said process comprising subjecting the pile continuously and progressive- 1y along the length of the fabric to a pressure operation while-simultaneously applying vapor of a solvent for the cellulose derivative to the part ofthe fabric being pressed, in order to effect glossing of the fabric.

3. Process for the treatment of a pile fabric, wherein the pile contains yarns of an organic derivative of cellulose, said process comprising glossing or smoothing the pile over at least part of the area of the fabric while simultaneously applying the vapor of a solvent for the said cellulose derivative to the part of the fabric being glossed or smoothed. v

4. Process for the treatment of a pile fabric, wherein the pile contains cellulose acetate, said process comprising glossing or smoothing the pile wherein the pile contains yarns of cellulose acetate, said process comprisingcglossing or smoothing the pile over at least part of the area of the fabric while simultaneously applying acetone vapor to the part of the fabric being glossed or smoothed. f

6. Process for the treatment of a pile fabric wherein the pile contains yarns of cellulose" acetate, which comprises glossing or smoothing the pile over at least part of the area of the fabric by drawing the fabric pasta glossing member with its pile side in pressing contact with the member so as to press the pile of the fabric solely by virtue of the contact of the member with the fabric. and simultaneously applying vapor of a solvent for the cellulose acetate to the part in contact with the glossing memvapours other than steam may be used instead the fabric past a glossing member with 7 its pile side in pressing contact with the member, leaving the back of the fabric exposed as it passes the member, and simultaneously applying vapor of a solvent for the pile to the said exposed back of the fabric.

8. Process for the treatment of a pile fabric wherein the pile contains yarns of cellulose acetate, which comprises glossing or smoothing the pile over at least part of the area of the fabric by drawing the fabric under tension past a glossing member with its pile side in contact with the member, deflecting the tensioned fabric by the member so that it is subjected to pressure by the member, and simultaneously applying the vapor of a solvent to the back of the part of the fabric in contact with the glossing member.

9. Process for the treatment of a pile fabric wherein the pile contains yarns of cellulose aceiate, which comprises glossing or smoothing the back of the fabric and supporting the fabric between the edges thereof, means to draw the fabric under tension past the supporting edges, 9. glossing roller disposed between the supporting edges to engage the pile side of the fabric and to deflect the tensioned length of fabric between the supporting edges so that the pile side of the fabric is pressed against the glossing roller and means to supply vapor to the enclosed chamber formed by the open-faced box and the back of the fabric passing over its open face.

11. Apparatus for the treatment of pile fabric, comprising means to support the fabric at two spaced points along its length, means to draw the fabric under tension past the supporting means, a glossing roller disposed between the points of support and adapted to engage the pile side of the fabric and to deflect the tensioned length of fabric between the points of support whereby the pile side of the fabric is pressed against the glossing roller, the back of the fabric opposite the point of contact with the roller being unsupported, and means to apply vapor to the back of the part of the fabric in contact with the glossing roller.

WIILIAM ALEXANDER. DICKIE. ALEXANDER HENDERSON GENTLE. 

